Portable computers are often configured in a “notebook” or “clamshell” arrangement. These types of computers most often package a majority of the internal components associated with a computer into a base assembly. Such components include a printed circuit board that carries a computer's central processor, any additional peripheral processors, and at least some of the computer's memory. Additionally, the base can house one or more batteries to provide portable power for the computer, internal storage such as a hard drive or a solid state drive, mechanical connections for peripheral devices and related circuitry, the computer's input devices, and circuitry for a wired or wireless internet connection (such as via WiFi or a cellular data network). A lid assembly is typically attached to the base and includes a video display that can, for example, be in the form of LCD screen. The lid can also include circuitry related to the display and some additional components, such as various types of antennae, video cameras, or the like.
In such an arrangement, the input devices typically included in the base include a keyboard for alphanumeric input and various additional controls and a device configured to allow the user to control the position of a cursor displayed on the computer's display. This type of device can be in the form of a trackpad that includes a generally flat touch-sensitive surface that can detect the position and movement of a user's finger thereon. The trackpad structure can include one or more input buttons associated therewith or can be itself configured with button functionality. Other cursor-control devices can include trackballs and small buttons integrated with the keyboard that are sensitive to pressure in lateral directions.
In a notebook or clamshell arrangement, the lid is most often attached to the base by a hinge positioned at a back edge of the base (the edge that is positioned farthest from the user during use of the computer). Such a hinge can include elements to provide internal friction to maintain a position of the lid selected by the user to comfortably view the display, for example. The lid and the base can have the same or similar width and depth dimensions so that the lid can close against the base to protect both the screen and the input devices that are positioned on the top surface of the base. In such an arrangement, the computer can rest stably on a surface, even when the lid is positioned at an angle such that it extends reward of the base because of the greater comparative weight of the base.
Recently, touchscreens have grown in popularity as a means for providing both a display and an input for a computer. Touchscreens allow for users to interact directly with the images presented on the computer's display. Tablet computers are one of the primary devices that utilize a touchscreen and often lack other inputs such as trackpads and keyboards and are generally intended to be handheld or used while resting on a surface or in a stand to position them for easy interaction. Some desktop computers have also introduced form-factors that facilitate touchscreen interaction.
Various computer operating systems have begun to integrate touchscreen support either along with or in replacement of a typical cursor, which can in some cases remove the need for a cursor and associated cursor control input devices. In many applications, however, the use of a physical keyboard can prove useful or advantageous over representations thereof on a touchscreen. Traditional clamshell or notebook computer configurations, while providing a keyboard, may have disadvantages when combined with a touchscreen.